There’s been plenty of speculation about the future of the Star Wars franchise since 2017’sStar Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedihit theaters, and now the premiere ofStar Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalkeris hereThe final, full-lengthtrailerforThe Rise of Skywalkeroffered some intriguing hints as to how the Skywalker saga will conclude, including a brief scene from an epic space battle featuring more than a few iconic ships, and now that we’ve seen it,we’ve got our own opinionsthat don’t necessarily follow the critics’ consensus.

The Rise of Skywalkerbrings back director J.J. Abrams to close out this arc of the iconic sci-fi saga after he helmed 2015’s franchise-relaunchingStar Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens. WhileStar Wars: Episode IXis now available for your viewing pleasure, if you’ve yet to see the film, here’s everything to know ahead of the action.

Jedi mind tricks

In a special event hostedin the game Fortnite, Disney released another clip from the upcoming film.

This time, we see Rey, Finn, and Poe land on an Imperial space station (which looks strangely familiar to previous films’ Death Star scenes) and instantly take out a few Stormtroopers. They run into a corridor where they’re stopped by two more Stormtroopers and look to be done for. However, Rey raises a hand and pulls a classic page from Obi-Wan Kenobi’s book, telling the Stormtroopers, “It’s okay that we’re here.”

They agree, after which Poe asks Finn, “Does she do that to us?”

It’s a little comic relief following a potentially significant reveal: That Rey has fully embraced and mastered the Jedi ability to control minds.

A telling new clip

Aclip fromEpisode IXreleased a week beforeRise of Skywalkerhit theaters features the voice of James Earl Jones, who famously voiced Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.

Emperor Palpatine’s voice joins that of Vader, as are the voices of Supreme Leader Snoke, taunting Kylo Ren.

“I have been every voice you have ever heard inside your head,” the Sith voices hiss at Kylo, implying that Palpatine’s powers may have conquered death long enough to pull the strings for the rise of the First Order. Of course, without additional context, it’s impossible to say definitively what’s going on here and that, naturally, is the point of the teaser.

At the very least, the clip shows thatThe Rise of Skywalkermakes a concerted effort to tie together all three trilogies to bring the Star Wars saga to a close.

They can fly now

Disney released aclip fromThe Rise of Skywalkeron November 25 featuring Rey, Finn, Poe, and a few more familiar characters racing across a desert while being pursued by stormtroopers. They weren’t your usual First Order troops, however, as the stormtroopers took to the sky using jetpacks in the 30-second clip, prompting some surprise from the hero characters. Yes, they can fly now.

Final trailer and ticket sales

Thefinal trailer forStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker(see above) premiered — much like past trailers for the episodic installments of the franchise — during a broadcast of the NFL’s Monday Night Football on October 21.Tickets forThe Rise of Skywalkerofficially went on sale just before the trailer’s debut.

Hello, Babu

As part of Lucasfilm’s annual “Force Friday” campaign, the studio revealed a new character who debuted inThe Rise of Skywalker: Babu Frik.

The character’s official description (viaStarWars.com) reads as follows: “The tiny Anzellan droidsmith … works among the Spice Runners of Kijimi and can reprogram or modify virtually any droid — regardless of the security measures protecting its systems.”

Welcome to the Star Wars universe, Babu.

D23 preview: The last Jedi goes dark?

Disney gave Star Wars fans an early look at somenew footage fromThe Rise of Skywalkerduring the company’s D23 Expo in August, and the preview generated quite a bit of discussion due to its closing scene: A shot of Rey (Daisy Ridley) in a dark cloak, wielding a double-bladed, red lightsaber similar to the one Darth Maul used inThe Phantom Menace.

Along with that cryptic tease, the video also featured one of the repurposed scenes from the prior films that feature the late Carrie Fisher as Leia, as well as a few other notable moments.

A foreboding poster

Revealed at Disney’s surprisingly packedD23 Expoevent in Anaheim, California, the poster for the film is a daringly imaginative battle scene between our hero Rey (Daisy Ridley) and a fully masked Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). The previously rumored return of Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is front and center as he looks on at the fight from the skies above with demonic eyes.

A tight schedule

The film’s late change in directors (by Star Wars standards, at least) was keenly felt by the production team, and prompted some creative maintenance of the filming schedule, according toRise of Skywalkereditor Maryann Brandon.

In an interview withExpress U.K., the longtime collaborator with Abrams revealed that the tight production schedule for the film had her take the unusual step of cutting footage on set, while they were still filming.

“When we didThe Force Awakens, we started in May and we finished shooting in October, and we were out [the following] Christmas,” she explained. “For this film, we didn’t start until August, so we weren’t done until February shooting — so we have four months less time, and it’s a very big film.”

“So I convinced JJ to let me cut on the set,” she said. “He was like, ‘No, we never do that.’ I [said], ‘Just try it, so I can start turning over shots.'”

The result was a situation in which Brandon was rarely more than 10 feet from Abrams at any given point during the filming ofRise of Skywalker, editing the movie as it was being filmed.

“So if the camera would move 10 feet, I would move 10 feet,” she recalled. “I was everywhere.”

More details (and photos) emerge

In May, Vanity Fair published an in-depth preview ofRise of Skywalkerfeaturing some of the first looks at the characters — both new and returning — that appear in the trilogy-ending chapter of the saga.

Among the biggest revelations from the preview include the return of the Knights of Ren, and the confirmation of Keri Russell’s character in the film, a “masked scoundrel” known as Zorri Bliss.

V.F. can exclusively confirm that the mysterious Knights of Ren—first seen in#StarWars: The Force Awakens—are back in#TheRiseofSkywalkerhttps://t.co/ER4XSJmZ8kpic.twitter.com/cBrdAOrqSv

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair)June 11, 2025

A photo also revealed the first look at Naomi Ackie as Jannah, who joins Finn (John Boyega) in one of the photos, riding into battle on creatures known Orbaks.

Here’s what we can tell you about#TheRiseofSkywalker: when the film picks up—about a year after the end of The Last Jedi—Rey, Finn, and Poe are all finally in the same place for the first time since The Force Awakenshttps://t.co/cbjHB1IDSdpic.twitter.com/XWqLCCbsrK

Franchise newcomer Richard E. Grant is also seen in the photos as the First Order’s Allegiant General Pryde.

New villain alert! Richard E. Grant joins#StarWarsas Allegiant General Prydehttps://t.co/MZcbyGMav7

The first look

The first trailer forThe Rise of Skywalkerdropped in front of a packed crowd at Star Wars Celebrationin Chicago, and it revealed much more than just the film’s title. The trailer would be viewed more than 111 million times within the first 24 hours it was available, according toDeadline, receiving 20 million more views than the trailer forEpisode VIII — The Last Jedidid during the same period of time.

As far as what the trailer revealed, Mark Hamill provided the preview’s evocative voice-over, while footage of Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa — which was originally filmed forThe Force Awakens— tugged at fans’ heartstrings. Billy Dee Williams as the elder Lando Calrissian looked as dapper as ever sitting in the Millennium Falcon’s cockpit.

More Star Wars News

The trailer’s biggest surprise came at the very end, however, when a maniacal laugh took over the soundtrack. That cackle belongs to none other than former Emperor Palpatine, who (supposedly) died at the end ofStar Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi. Just in case there was any confusion, Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid took the Star Wars Celebration stage after the trailer finished playing and, in character, growled, “Roll it again.”

Otherwise, the Star Wars CelebrationEpisode IXpanel was light on details, although Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy let the assembled cast members share a few small tidbits. Naomi Ackie’s new character is named Jannah.The Rise of Skywalkerbrings the sequel trilogy characters together for a single adventure, and BB-8 has a new droid pal named DIO, who is just as cute as you would imagine.

A leaked peek?

Just a couple of weeks beforeStar WarsCelebration Chicago alleged promotional materials for the film leaked onMaking Star Wars. The images, which include a collage and character sheets, confirm a number of long-standing rumors and offer fans a glimpse of some ofStar Wars: Episode IX‘s new characters.

Rey takes center stage on the “leaked” image, dressed in an outfit that recalls both Luke Skywalker’s all-white get-up inStar Wars: Episode IV — A New Hopeand Padme’s costume duringAttack of the Clones’final battle scene. Poe Dameron is wearing full-on Resistance fighter garb, Finn holds a blaster, and C-3PO wields a Wookiee bowcaster, just likeprevious reportssaid he would. Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico, who first appeared inStar Wars: The Last Jedi, is conspicuously absent.

On the villains’ side, Kylo Ren seems to have reforged his mask and is flanked by a group of similarly clad soldiers who are most likely the mysterious Knights of Ren. Kylo’s long-rumored legion of red Stormtroopers also appears as does a masked woman who the character sheets call “Zorri,” and who matches previous descriptions of the new character played byThe Americans’Keri Russell.

The character sheets correctly identify Naomi Ackie’s bow-wielding character as Jannah and offer a very blurry glimpse at Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian, whose fashion sense doesn’t seem to have changed much over the past 40 years.

The end of an era

On August 18, 2025, Abrams shared some momentous news onTwitter: Principal photography onStar Wars: Episode IXhas wrapped after a six-month shoot, marking the end of filming on both Disney’s sequel trilogy and the Skywalker family saga as a whole.

“It feels impossible, but today wrapped photography on Episode IX,” Abrams wrote alongside a photo of stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Issac embracing on set. “There is no adequate way to thank this truly magical crew and cast. I’m forever indebted to you all.”

It feels impossible, but today wrapped photography on Episode IX. There is no adequate way to thank this truly magical crew and cast. I’m forever indebted to you all.pic.twitter.com/138AprtFuZ

— JJ Abrams (@jjabrams)July 04, 2025

Abrams wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Boyega posted the same photo onhis social media feed, along with a heartfelt message. “That’s a wrap on Star Wars episode 9 and the end to a chapter of my life that I couldn’t be more thankful for,” Boyega said. “It really has been a joy to be in these movies surrounded by amazing people. JJ thank you for making my dreams come true.”

Cosmic cameos

The Star  Wars saga has a long history of bringing in famous actors, musicians, and other familiar faces for small parts — often under heavy makeup or costumes — as a nod to some of the franchise’s most high-profile fans.

Star Wars: Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver Lands Episode IX Cameohttps://t.co/3LXRF7QEGZpic.twitter.com/5vNAsNsSK8

— CBR (@CBR)August 17, 2025

According toThe Sun, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver suited up as a First Order stormtrooper forEpisode IX. Oliver, who hosted the popular BBC seriesThe Naked Cheffor its three-season run, was offered the part after gaining attention for his Star Wars fandom over the years.

Oliver joins award-winning musician Ed Sheeran, who will also have a cameo inEpisode IX, with both men playing First Order stormtroopers in the film.

One year later

Given how little time elapsed between the events ofStar Wars: Episode VII — The Force AwakensandEpisode VIII — The Last Jedi, it comes as a bit of a surprise thatEpisode IXjumps ahead in the timeline a bit for its story.

Speaking toEmpire Magazineabout the film, actor John Boyega — who portrayed former First Order stormtrooper Finn inThe Force AwakensandThe Last Jedi— indicated thatEpisode IXwill pick up “roughly one year” after the events of its 2017 predecessor. At Star Wars Celebration 2019, panelists confirmed that there would be a sizable time jump betweenThe Last JediandThe Rise of Skywalker.

https://twitter.com/starwarstuff/status/1076323027644702720

Rumor patrol: Knights of Ren

As with any Star Wars movie, there’s no shortage of rumors circlingEpisode IX, and a few have sparked quite a bit of discussion in mainstream circles.

The mysterious Knights of Ren were also the subject of a popular rumor making the rounds, withComicBook.comreporting that a person present at a Disney marketing event confirmed that the shadowy group seen inEpisode VII — The Force Awakensand led by Kylo Ren will indeed be inEpisode IX.

“They will definitely be in the next movie,” writes the unidentified source. “They did show numerous pictures/artwork of them.”

The Doctor is in

One of cinema’s most popular sci-fi franchises will draw from the ranks of one of television’s longest-running sci-fi sagas.

In late August 2018, formerDoctor Whostar Matt Smith (pictured above) was reported to be the latest casting addition toEpisode IX.

Smith, who played the 11th Doctor in the wildly popular British sci-fi series and recently earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance in the Netflix seriesThe Crown, will play an unidentified “key role” in the Star Wars sequel, according toVariety.

A bittersweet beginning

Abrams commemorated the August 1 start of production onEpisode IXwith his first post onTwitter, which acknowledged the absence of franchise veteran Carrie Fisher on the set and thankedEpisode VIIIdirector Rian Johnson and Star Wars creator George Lucas for getting the saga to this point.

Bittersweet starting this next chapter without Carrie, but thanks to an extraordinary cast and crew, we are ready to go. Grateful for@rianjohnsonand special thanks to George Lucas for creating this incredible world and beginning a story of which we are lucky to be a part.#IXpic.twitter.com/FOfnGwVut5

— JJ Abrams (@jjabrams)August 06, 2025

Official cast

On July 27,Lucasfilm’s official Star Wars pagelisted the major cast list, including the big names returning and those joining anew the latest film in the franchise. And yes, that means Billy Dee Williams officially returns as the iconic Lando Calrissian, as does Mark Hamill which, for reasons we won’t specify here, may come as a surprise to some. Follow below for the official cast list:

Officially returning forEpisode IXare Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd.

Joining the cast for their first Star Wars experience are Naomi Ackie(Dr. Who),Richard E. Grant, and Keri Russell. In addition, veteran Star Wars actors returning include Williams (as promised), Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO).

But those aren’t the only familiar faces coming back. The announcement states that the late Carrie Fisher’s character, Leia Organa, also returns for the film “using previously unreleased footage shot forStar Wars: The Force Awakens.”This may come as a surprise to some following news that no CG version of Fisher’s character would be used forEpisode IX(seemingly implying Leia would not return). However,Episode IXdirector J.J. Abrams made a statement to alleviate concerns.

“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” Abrams said. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia inEpisode IXby using unseen footage we shot together inEpisode VII.”

A tricky new title

Star Wars films are notorious for using working titles to throw off the public and keep production costs low in terms of locations and services.Episode VI — Return of the Jediwas shot under the guise of a horror movie calledBlue Harvest.Meanwhile,Episode II — Attack of the Clonespoked fun at the negative response to prequel trilogy’s Gungan leader with the titleJar-Jar’s Big Adventure.

Sometimes the production title can offer clues, though they may not make sense until after the film is released. Fantha Tracks has reported that theworking title forEpisode IXwastrIXie.The site claimed that “the same research methods and public sources were used by the same team to uncover the production names of every Disney-era Star Wars film to date.”

The Force Awakenswas shot under the titleAVCO, which Bleeding Cool reported was the name of the theater in Los Alamos where ayoung J.J. Abrams saw the first Star Wars film. So what doestrIXierefer to, if anything? It appears to simply be a way to get the roman numeral for the number 9 in the title.

Reunion time

Following in the footsteps of the Star Wars trilogies that came before it, the current three-part story arc had its main characters separating inEpisode VIII — The Last Jedi, the middle chapter of the saga (much like the characters did inEpisode II — Attack of the ClonesandEpisode V — The Empire Strikes Back). As with those previous trilogies, though, the cast reunited for one big team-up for the concluding installment.

Asked aboutEpisode IXduring a convention in Washington, D.C. in 2018, Boyega said he expects the film to bring together his character, Finn, with Daisy Ridley’s character, Rey. The pair have been separated since the events ofEpisode VII — The Force Awakens, but that period apart is nearing its end.

“I haven’t read the script forEpisode IX,” he said (viaSlashFilm). “But Daisy did shoot me a text saying, ‘Oh my gosh, I just heard from J.J. [Abrams], and we’re back together.’ That’s what I’m really excited about, is Finn and Rey back together again.”

Different endings, same result?

While discussing the differences in working with Star Wars directors J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson, Hamill revealed how the creator of the sci-fi saga, Lucas, planned to handle the later years of his iconic character, Luke Skywalker.

“I happen to know that George didn’t kill Luke until the end of [Episode]IX, after he trained Leia,” Hamill toldIGN. “Which is another thread that was never played upon [inThe Last Jedi].”

Although most of Lucas’ plans for a sequel trilogy were reportedly scrapped when Disney took over the franchise,The Last Jedidid get to a point with some of its main characters that has a lot in common with those early outlines. Luke’s death occurred one episode earlier, and Leia (Carrie Fisher) did show some aptitude with The Force in Johnson’s 2017 film.

“George had an overall arc — if he didn’t have all the details, he had sort of an overall feel for where the [sequel trilogy was] going — but this [sequel trilogy] is more like a relay race,” Hamill said of the current saga, which appears to be letting its creative teams take the over-arching events in some unexpected directions, too. “You run and hand the torch off to the next guy, he picks it up and goes.”

The rich get richer

Whatever your thoughts aboutEpisode VIII, most can agree that it was a visually spectacular film. Scenes like the throne room saber battle and Vice Admiral Holdo’s lightspeed strike were breathtaking, thanks to some excellent art direction and production design. Now, the team forEpisode IXhas a new, distinguished member: Paul Inglis, who served as art director for the excellent (andgorgeous)Blade Runner 2049.

Thanks to a reportfrom Omega Underground, we know Inglis was tapped as the supervising art director forEpisode IX, to work alongside Abrams and the production team to define the film’s aesthetic. Inglis’ previous credits also includeSkyfall,Game of Thrones,Prometheus, andChildren of Men.

A different kind of ship

Some Star Wars fans saw Rey (Ridley) and Poe (Isaac) meet inThe Last Jediand started hoping it was their meet-cute. The single scene was enough to fuel shipping rumors — so much so that Ridley had to answer a question about it during a promotional event in China. Redditor Niamor89posted a video(via Sleemo) showing the actress discussing the two Resistance fighters’ possible romantic future. Put simply, she doesn’t really want them to have one.

“It’s wonderful to have relationships that are not romantic,” Ridley said. “I don’t think in films you always need a romantic relationship. I think friend relationships can be romantic in their gestures and their intimacy and all of that. So I think, hopefully — you know, if Rey and Poe get to have some scenes together and stuff — that there will be intimacy, but I think, for me, it doesn’t have to be romantic love.”

Location on loch

The next installment of the Star Wars franchise headed to the highlands — the county of Argyll in the Scottish Highlands, to be precise.

A report in Scotland’sDaily Recordindicated that a new Star Wars movie began filming in the western Scottish county of Argyll in June, with shooting taking place in thehistoric mountain passknown as theRest and Be Thankful. Although the initial report suggested that it was Johnson’s spinoff trilogy that filmed in Argyll, that series hasn’t entered production — so if a Star Wars movie did indeed shoot in Argyll, it’s most likely Abrams’Episode IX.

Parent problems, redux

AlthoughThe Last Jediseemed to offer some resolution regarding the mystery of Rey’s lineage, Johnson indicated in an interview withHuffington Postthat fans might not have heard the end of that particular identity crisis.

Their story will go on

Don’t let the description ofEpisode IXas a “concluding chapter” mislead you: The stars of the sequel trilogy aren’t going away.

In a November 2017 interview featured onThe Star Wars Show, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy indicated that many of the main characters introduced inStar Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakenswill continue their stories inEpisode IXand beyond the sequel trilogy.

“We’re sitting down now, we’re talking about the next 10 years of Star Wars stories, and we’re looking at, narratively, where that might go,” Kennedy said. “Future stories beyondEpisode IXwith these new characters — Rey, Poe, Finn, BB-8 — but we’re also looking at working with people who are interested in coming into the Star Wars world and taking us places we haven’t been yet. That’s exciting too because it’s a vast galaxy far, far away.”

Going back to the beginning

After originalEpisode IXdirector Colin Trevorrowexited the projectin September 2017 due to creative differences with the studio, it didn’t take long for Disney and Lucasfilm to find a new filmmaker to helm the movie — and he was a familiar face to fans of the franchise.

Abrams was named the new director of the film just a week after the post was vacated, with the film’s co-writer, Academy Award winner Chris Terrio (Argo,Justice League), also announced at that time.

“WithThe Force Awakens, J.J. delivered everything we could have possibly hoped for, and I am so excited that he is coming back to close out this trilogy,” Kennedy said in a statement onStarWars.com.

Given the success of Abrams’ franchise-relaunching sequelThe Force Awakens, the decision to bring him back forEpisode IXseems like a safe bet for the studio.

Release date, updated

Not too long after Abrams was announced as the director ofEpisode IX, the film also received a new release date.

Star Wars: Episode IXofficially hit theaters on July 24, 2025, several months later than its original release date of August 03, 2025.

The new release date has the film arriving in theaters on the same weekend as a live-action feature based on the popular Broadway musicalCats. It also allows the film to carry on the tradition set by the two serialized installments of the Star Wars franchise that immediately precede it,Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force AwakensandStar Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi, which were both assigned December premieres.